The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety. The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘Dream’. The new variety was designated by the breeder as ‘Dream (DA50)’. The new variety of strawberry was created in a breeding program by crossing two parents in 2007 in Le Barp, France; in particular, by crossing as seed parent an undistributed strawberry parent designated “31.14.04” (unpatented) and as pollen parent an strawberry parent designated “01.12.52” (unpatented). Seed parent and pollen parent are selections from the breeder's program and have not been commercialized.
The resulting seedling of the new variety was grown and asexually propagated by runners in Le Barp, France 0.7° W., 44°, 50 meters elevation. Propagation by runners included propagation by runners, separately for each varieties, first into a Screen-House, and after in the fields. Clones of the new variety were further asexually propagated and extensively tested. Each variety was reproduced by stolons in the nurseries. In order to establish and bring to health the initial head clones, mother plants that had developed several stolons were subjected to a heat treatment, or thermoterapy, at 36° C.-37° C. for 3 to 4 weeks. After that treatment, apical meristems were cut and developed (1 apical meristem corresponding to 1 rooting plant) in an in vitro culture for 5 to 6 weeks. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Among the characteristics which appear to distinguish the new variety from its closest variety of which I am aware, ‘Clery’ (unpatented in the US), is a combination of traits which include: serrate terminal leaflet incisions in the new variety as compared to crenate for ‘Clery’ (unpatented in the US). The new variety also has a darker red to dark red fruit color (RHS red group (near 43 B to 44 A)), as compared to red (RHS red group near 40 B to 41 A) for ‘Clery’ (unpatented in the US). The luminosity for the fruit of the new variety at 460 nm observed on May 7 was 56.7, as compared to 43.5 for ‘Clery’ (unpatented in the US). The new variety also has a large fruit size as compared to medium for ‘Clery’(unpatented in the US). The average fruit mass (g/fruit) observed for ‘Dream’ on May 7 was 23.5 g, compared to 18.9 g for ‘Clery’. It is noted that ‘Clery’ is an unpatented variety in the US. In The European Union, ‘Clery’ is patented as: EU 16743.
Characteristics which appear to distinguish the new variety from the variety ‘Darselect’ as characterized in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,402, at least include that the new variety has an open density and a medium vigor.
The new variety is distinguished from its parents by the following characteristics possessed by ‘Dream’ which are different than, or not possessed, by the seed parent designated “31.14.04” (unpatented) and pollen parent strawberry designated “01.12.52” (unpatented): (1) Seed parent “31.14.04” (unpatented) is more vigorous than the plant of the new variety “Dream”; (2) In seed parent “31.14.04” (unpatented) the production of commercial quality fruit is smaller than in the new variety “Dream”; (3) In the seed parent “31.14.04” (unpatented) the fruit size is bigger than in the new variety “Dream”; (4) In the pollen parent “01-12-52” (unpatented) the fruit size is smaller than in the new variety “Dream”; (5) Pollen parent “01-12-52” (unpatented) shows a fruit glossiness less intense than in the new variety “Dream”.